Mystic Angels
by SalemCassidy
Summary: Matt has made a lot of mistakes in his life. The worst mistake was leaving his exgirlfriends little brother alone to cope with his parents death. Can he fix what is broken? Matt/Jereymy/ Eventually Damon. I do not own Vampire Diaries in any form.
1. Broken Angel

Matt Donavan stood leaning against his battered old Ford and watched as each new car pulled into the parking lot. His crystal blue eyes peered into every window as it drifted past him but he still hadn't seen person he was looking for, Elena Gilbert. As the thought of Elena's dark hair and bright eyes took firm root in his mind he felt his heart speed up and his stomach clench. Last year he and Elena had been the couple to beat. He was the star of the football team and she was the home coming queen, at least she would have been before it happened. Her parent's car went off Wickery Bridge with Elena inside. By some miracle she had managed to escape and swim to the bank before losing consciousness. Elena survived but her parents were gone and everything changed. She dropped out of the schools social scene and stopped hanging out with her friends. Finally one night on Old Wood Road she had turned to him and said she couldn't do it anymore. She still loved him and always would, but she wasn't in love with Matt Donavan the football star.

He was so shocked by her tremulous words and blue eyes swimming in tears that he'd simply nodded and took her home without saying a word. Matt regretted it ever sense. Every morning when he got up and every night before he climbed into bed he wished that he'd begged her to give him on last chance. That was why he was waiting there in the parking lot, waiting to beg Elena to give him one more try. Not as the football star but as the boy who'd lived down the road since they were kids. He was still in leaning against his car when minutes before the first bell when Tyler Smallwood and his sister Vicky pulled into the parking lot in his convertible. He watched as Tyler leaned over and tried to eat Vicky's face before climbing out of the car to run for school. Matt watched as his sister climbed out of the car.

She had barely closed the door when a boy he didn't recognize appeared from between the cars and grabbed her arm. Matt started to run over, but he knew that she'd just scream at him for playing white knight and interfering in her life. He watched as she threw her head back in silent laughter and jerked her arm out of the boy's hand. She said something to the boy, her eyes flashing, before turning to stalk off. Matt couldn't help but feel sorry for the kid as he leaned against the fender of Tyler's convertible and buried his face in his hands.

"Who was that?" He asked as Vicky flounced by her hair flying out behind her. She stopped and turned to him her lips twisting into a satisfied smirk.

"Don't you recognize him?" She asked her smiling brightening. "That's your one true love's little brother."

"That was Jeremy?" He asked glancing towards the boy beside Smallwood's car. The Jeremy Gilbert he remembered was short and thin with his hair spiked all over his head. The boy standing forlornly by the convertible was taller, broader, and his hair hung limply around his face.

"Uh huh." Vicky said shrugging suddenly uninterested.

"What is he doing with you?" Matt asked squinting at her. The Jeremy he remembered would never have had anything to do with Vicky Donavan either. Vicky was what the people of Mystic Falls called a wild child. She hung out with a rough crowd and got high in the cemetery.

"He thinks he's in love with me." She said for the first time the smirk fell from her face replaced with something akin to pity.

"How much of that is your fault?" He asked scowling at her.

"It wasn't my fault. He should have known it didn't mean anything. I'm Tyler's girlfriend." She said shrugging as if that explained everything. She walked away before he could ask anymore questions.

By then the bell had already rung. There was no point in rushing to class, late was late. It didn't look like Elena was going to show up either. The least he could do was try to help the kid. Jeremy's hands had dropped from his face to his sides but his head was still bent and his hair still covered his eyes. As Matt drew closer Jeremy heard him coming and began to scrub at his face and sniff loudly. Matt stopped short as he realized that the other boy had been crying. It made him angry. He had watched his sister step on a lot of guys on the way to Smallwood. He had seen screaming fights, boys slamming car doors and driving away, but this was the first one of Vicky's castoffs he'd seen cry.

"What do you want?" Jeremy asked glaring up. The memory of Elena's eyes had caused Matt's heart to race. The liquid brown eyes glaring at him through dark bangs and tears made his heart stop. He stood and stared into those dark brown eyes stammering before the words he wanted to say came out.

"I wanted to apologize for my sister." He said finally. "I don't think she know what's she does to people."

"You know what I don't get?" Jeremy asked a cold facsimile of a smile twisting his lips.

"What's that?" Matt asked still enthralled by the boy's eyes.

"She's with Tyler, the guy's a dick and he treats her like shit but she stays with him." Jeremy said pounding his fist backward against the fender. Matt wasn't sure why but his hand shot forward and grabbed the sleeve of Jeremy's hoodie before he could draw his hand back to hit the car again. The boy tried to rip his arm away but Matt was quicker and stronger. His fingers locked around Jeremy's wrist. A tingle like a bolt of lightening raced through the palm of his hand where it touched Jeremy's skin. He gasped but didn't let go. He could tell the other boy had felt it too by the way he stared down a their locked hands.

"I'm not going to den the car." He said his eyes flickering from their hands to Matt's face.

"No, but you might break your hand."

"Why do you even care?" Elena's not going to take you back just because you're nice to me." Jeremy's eyes went dark and hard.

"You know, it wasn't Elena I spent two or three nights a week playing video games with for months." Matt said smiling at the memory and the boy standing in front of him who was so different…so new.

"Yeah, I also know that you stopped coming around after Elena broke up with you. I haven't seen you since Mom and Dad's funeral." Jeremy said glaring at the blond.

"Yeah, I guess that was kind of crappy." Matt said as he watched fresh tears fill those brown eyes. "I just figured Elena didn't want me around."

"Elena wasn't the only one who lost her parents."

"I'm sorry." Matt said his own eyes were beginning to sting. He couldn't believe how stupid he'd been. Jeremy wasn't that much younger than him but when it came to losing both your parents in one horrible night everyone needed someone to turn to. He had assumed just because Elena turned away from everyone that he should just stay back. All he did was turn away from someone who really needed him.

"What can I do?" He asked. "What can I do to fix this?"

"I want to go home, can you please just take me home?" he looked tired, heavy purple bags drug down on his drying eyes.

"You want to skip out on the first day of school?"

"I don't care about this place, I just ant to go home." Jeremy said his shoulders dropping pathetically.

"Alright, I'll take you home." Matt said sighing as he turned back towards the Ford. Jeremy followed silently.

"I'm really sorry, Jerm. I can't believe I was so stupid." Matt said as he started the car.

"It's not big deal, I'm alright now." Matt could almost feel the cold exterior slide over the younger boy's mind and features.

"Are you really?" He asked as he steered the car towards the exit of the parking lot. Jeremy didn't say anything and the car was silent all the way to the Gilbert's. When they pulled to a stop in front of the house Jeremy tried to open the door without saying a word.

The passenger door was difficult to open from the outside but it was nearly impossible to open from the inside. You had to jiggle the handle exactly right while pulling until just the right moment when you had to push out hard. Jeremy didn't know the system; he tried to open the door a few times before he gave up and sat staring at the floor dejectedly. Matt finally took mercy on him. If he's climbed out of the car and went around to open the door things would have turned out differently but he didn't. He leaned across Jeremy and grabbed the handle. He was busy jiggling the handle when he heard a soft sigh escape Jeremy's lips. The gentle breath blew across his neck and onto his ear causing a thrill of pleasure to crawl up his spine. At first he thought it was an accident until it happened again. The next time the breath was a concentrated sweep across his neck to his ear. He turned his head and his mind went blank.

Jeremy's molten bronze eyes were unfocused and his lips were pursed in a perfect cupid's bow. Matt had never noticed the boy's lips before; he had never noticed Jeremy Gilbert at all like he was that day. But he couldn't help but notice when his senses were filled with glowing brown eyes, soft glistening lips, and the heavy scent of alcohol and peppermint. Matt licked his lips, his eyes never leaving Jeremy's. They opened slightly and Matt pressed his lips to them before he could think, his tongue flicking out to taste the rime of Snaups on the other boys lips. Even as Matt's mind began to rage against him for kissing Elena's little brother his body melted into the kiss, his hand creeping up to fist in Jeremy's tangled hair. Then everything was lost in the sensation of warm, soft, full lips pressed against his own.

When the kiss had ended Matt felt like years had blazed past while he and Jeremy were tangled together. He sat back with his eyes closed and tried to catch his breath while his mind still tried to catch up with what had happened. Only when he opened his eyes did he realize something was terribly wrong. His own breath was slow and calm like a marathon runner after a race. Jeremy's breath was fast and ragged, his pupils had spiraled down to pin pricks. His lips were moving quickly and continuously. Matt had to lean close to hear that the frightful mantra falling from the boy's lips was 'Pleas don't kill me.'

"Jeremy, its okay, calm down." He murmured softly, reaching over to stroke the other boy's cheek. It wasn't something he ever would have done before but with the taste of Jeremy's kiss still on his lips it didn't seem so strange. At first Jeremy shied away expecting pain when none came he leaned into the caress and his breathing finally began to slow.

"What was all that about?" Matt asked when Jeremy looked capable of speech.

"I got really high once and kissed one of the guys who hang out at the cemetery with Tyler. He waited until we were finished then he beat the crap out of me. He probably would have killed me if I hadn't been the only person who knew how to score right then." Jeremy said a small shiver chasing down his spine.

"Even if that hadn't been as amazing as it was freaky I wouldn't kill you over a little kiss." Matt said smiling gently.

"We did other stuff too… I did…" Jeremy stuttered his eyes locked on the glove box while a bright flush crept across his cheeks. Matt felt his stomach tighten as he realized what had happened. He wasn't disgusted by what Jeremy had done. He was disgusted that the other guy had let a fifteen year old do it then beat him for it.

"I don't care what you did, Jeremy. I would never hurt you." Matt said squeezing the other boy's shoulder reassuringly. This was just anther bullet on the list of ways he'd let Jeremy down. If he had been around Jeremy probably wouldn't have fallen in with Vicky's crowd, he definitely would not have ended up high in the cemetery getting his ass kicked.

"Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"Which part was I supposed to tell?" Jeremy asked his eyes going cold and hard. "That I stole what was left of my parents prescriptions and took them to get high, or maybe that I sold some of them to get more money to buy weed, or maybe that I got trashed and went down on some random guy in the cemetery?"

"You could have told me." Matt said desperately.

"Oh, lets see how that conversation would have gone. 'Matt, I think I've been in love with you since I was twelve, but I never said anything because you were obviously in love with my big sister. Then my parents died and you disappeared so I took a lot of drugs and blew a guy behind my parent's tombstone." By then Jeremy was shaking an tears were flowing openly town his face. Matt sat quietly and stared out the windshield. He could feel each word Jeremy spoke tightening around his heart like a steel band.

"Since you were twelve?" He asked finally. He planned to eventually find the guy that had hurt Jeremy and beat him to death but he couldn't bring himself to get it right now.

"Yeah."

"You should have said something."

"Would it have made any difference?" Jeremy asked the ice spreading from his eyes to his voice.

"I don't know." Matt felt like he was going into shock, he was numb and cold, his heart felt like a lump of lead in his chest.

"Does it matter now?"

"Yes, maybe, I don't know." Matt stammered slowly. "You are so beautiful." He said glancing over at the other boy. "The only person in my world who has ever been beautiful was Elena. Other girls were pretty like Bonnie and Caroline, guys were always cool. But you're beautiful and you're Elena's kid brother. And I'm so confused because I want to make sure nothing ever hurts you again but I'm so afraid I'll do something to break you." Matt said covering his face with his hands.

"I'm already broken, Matt, there's nothing left for you to do that can hurt me. If you want to let me out of the car and pretend you never saw me today I can survive that." Jeremy said, that twisted mockery of a smile back on his face. It hurt Matt to see it more than the tears.

"I can't pretend that today didn't happen. I can't walk out on you again and trust you'll be safe. I can't stand to go away and hear that you got hurt again or worse while I was gone. I'm not sure I could go a day without touching you, without being able to hold you, and know you're okay." Matt said reaching over to grasp Jeremy's hand. There was no sudden blaze of electricity lik in the parking lot. There was a flare of warmth that soaked into his bones and melted the lead sheathing his heart.

"What about Elena?"

"Elena made her decision months ago. She didn't need me and didn't want me around. I'm making my decision now. You need me, do you want me around?"

"Yeah, yeah I do." Jeremy smiled; it was the first genuine smile Matt had seen from him. Mad leaned across the middle seat. He grasped Jeremy's face in one hand, his thumb grazing his jaw softly as he flicked his tongue against Jeremy's lips. Neither boy noticed the large black crow watching from the quince tree outside.


	2. Angels Returned

Damon watched with amused disinterest as the two human boys in the car below him kissed. Things certainly had changed since he was a boy, if two young men had done something like that in broad daylight there would have been talk of crimes against God and nature. He could just barely make out the syrupy saccharine susurrus that was trickling from their lips between kisses but it was enough to make him smirk…if he actually had lips at the moment. Instead he winged into the forest that backed the house and transformed back into himself. He stretched luxuriantly and groaned as his muscles loosened. For some strange reason, after all these years, the crow transformation still left him stiff as if he'd been crouching in a corner for hours. Returning to his original form cost him his vantage point but being able to smirk and laugh again was worth it. Finally he picked out a decently comfortable looking oak tree and climbed it. Once he was somewhere near the top he stretched out across one of the narrow branches, lounging with one foot dangling earthward.

He had no idea why his little brother had decided to come home this time but it was already more interesting than their last trip. The kids in the car would bear watching at least, you just couldn't pay for entertainment like that anymore. Too bad he was the only vampire in town….or at least the only vampire in town he could stand to be around; it would be interesting to draw straws which young lover bungled things first. After a few moments more Damon had all but lost interest in the situation when he recognized a familiar scent. He glanced down from his tree and had to stifle a short burst of laughter as he watched his brother amble through the woods below him. Stefan walked to the edge of the forest, just out of sight from the house, and stopped watching someone move inside the house. Damon slid quickly and quietly down the tree and peered over his brother's shoulder. When the girl crossed the window Damon jumped back with a soft hiss, for a moment he thought it was Katherine but it couldn't be, she was long gone. Stefan had failed to notice his brother's presence until Damon had hissed, he spun and stepped back until he was nearly visible from the house.

"What the hell did you do, clone her?" Damon asked pointing accusingly towards the house.

"Of course not," Stefan said shaking his head. "I just found her, her name is Elena Gilbert." Stefan said turning back to the house. Damon felt a lurch of nausea as he saw the tell tale signs of infatuation in his brother's face.

"So that's why you came all the way back to Mystic Falls, because you found Katherine's doppelganger." Damon said rolling his eyes. Of course his milksop brother would race halfway across the world to the middle of nowhere Virginia just because some modern girl had a passing resemblance to the woman he had loved. It wasn't like the child would be anything like the real Katherine.

"Why are you here?" Stefan asked glancing at Damon.

"I thought that maybe you had come home after all of these years to end your suffering. What has it been a hundred thirty years?" He asked leaning against a nearby tree.

"One hundred forty six," Stefan said without looking away from the window. "Did you come to say goodbye, brother?"

"Hardly, I wanted to help. Are you sure I can't take your ring?" Stefan glared at him and Damon gave him a winning smile. "Just trying to be helpful," he said shrugging innocently.

"I don't want you mucking things up this time, Damon. Every time we come home you eat half the populous and the humans start sharpening their broom handles. I would like for once to actually have time to sit down and rest."

"You just want to stay around long enough to meet that pale imitation in there, have you enrolled in high school yet." Damon said offhandedly. He actually laughed out loud when his brother looked away quickly. He was quite sure that if Stefan had possessed the ability he would have blushed right then. "Have fun in American History, you can mention that your valiant big brother fought in the Civil War."

"Should I also mention that he valiantly fled from battle and turned deserter?" Stefan asked grinning at Damon; he was actually getting better at the verbal sparring.

"I only came home because you missed me." Damon said smirking at the younger vampire. Stefan made a nom committal sound and climbed a tree as the girl went to her bedroom on the second floor. Damon watched his brother for a while longer, it was pathetic really, like a puppy with his nose pressed against the glass begging to come in out of the cold. Damon finally transformed and flew away fearing he'd lose his lunch, a beautiful waitress from Aberdeen. He cruised around to the front of the house and lit in the quince tree but the beaten blue car had already disappeared taking the blond boy with it. Huffing he made a circuit of the house until he found the other boy laying napping in an upstairs room. He lit on the windowsill and looked in. So Stefan's little clone and the blonde's shaggy little paramour were related. He didn't really see a family resemblance, the boy certainly didn't look like Katherine, he looked familiar but Damon just couldn't put his finger on it. He couldn't deny the boy had some allure though; his lips were full and freshly bruised by his recent activities in the car. His dark lashes fell across his cheeks like evening shadows. Damon shook his head and flew away from the window quickly shaking his head again in midair to try to clear the image of the sleeper from his mind.

"That one may turn out to be too much of a distraction," he thought as he winged away deeper into the forest. "I have to have to some spare time to play with Stefan too."

"Jeremy, wake up. Aunt Jenna said supper's ready." Jeremy startled awake to the sound of his sisters voice. For the first time in months it didn't anger him. His memories of Matt were better than any dose of Prozac.

"Alright I'll be down in a few minutes." He mumbled as he sat up and scrubbed his eyes.

"What? No 'I'm not hungry' or 'stay out of my life'?" Elena asked staring at her brother her eyes wide.

"No," he laughed. "I'll come down when I'm awake enough to walk down the stairs."

"Are you sick, do you have a fever?" She asked crossing the room to sit on the edge of his bed, she pushed his bangs away with the back of her hand and pressed her palm to his forehead. For the past few months Jeremy had been the epitomal teenage boy moody, surely, and secretive. Suddenly he was acting like he had when he was a child full of smiles and laughter.

"Quit pawing at me, I just had a good day at school." He said grinning s he shoved her arm away gently.

"Jeremy you weren't at school today." Elena said her brow furrowing. She had long since stopped telling Jenna when Jeremy missed school. Nothing either one of them said seemed to get through to him it only served to push him farther away. She wasn't even sure the secretaries bothered to keep track of his attendance anymore.

"Yeah, I got a ride home." Jeremy said he actually looked abashed.

"Who with, Vicky and Tyler?" Elena asked sighing. She didn't like the idea of her little brother hanging out with people her age anyway, much less the school's black sheep foot ball player and his loose girlfriend.

"No," Jeremy said quietly his face hardening quickly before softening. "Matt brought me home." Elena didn't miss the quick warmth in her brother's eyes or the slow, soft blush that crept across his face as he said Matt Donavan's name. It wasn't the first time she'd noticed that same dreamy look on his face. Again she wondered if Jeremy carried a secret crush for her ex. When she and Matt were dating, before her parents died, she had caught Jeremy glancing over at the blonde boy while they played video games on the living room couch. For a long time she'd told herself it was simple hero worship, but sometimes it looked a lot more like adoration.

"Jerm, is there anything you want to tell me? You know I'll love you, no matter what." She said glancing at him. The moment the words left her mouth she regretted them. She expected him to push her away, to scream for her to get out.

"Matt kissed me." He said quietly looking out the window. Whatever she had expected him to say that wasn't it and she didn't react well.

"What?" She shrieked on her feet and pacing before Jeremy could blink.

"I'm so sorry, I know it's not cool to go after your family's ex boyfriends, but I've been in love with him for just as long as you were, and he kissed me first." Jeremy said pleadingly as he watched her pace.

"I'm going to kill him." She said her eyes flashing dangerously. "You're fifteen, you just lost your parents, you're messed up and he's taking advantage of you to get to me!"

"It's all about you again, isn't it Elena. He couldn't just like me could he? He's just messing with me to get back at you for dumping him." Jeremy shouted shooting to his face more quickly than she had. "What's all the shouting about?" Jenna asked as she walked into the room.

"Matt kissed Jeremy." Elena said spinning to face her brother. Jenna stopped dead in her tracks with her mouth hanging open. This was not the fight she was expecting to have to break up. "I know you've had a crush on him for a long time, Jeremy, but don't you think it's a little bit odd that the captain of the football team suddenly decides to make out with fifteen year old potheads?" She winced as the last word slipped out of her mouth. All the fire went out of Jeremy instantly, his shoulders slumped and his eyes glistened.

"Jeremy, wait, I'm sorry." Elena stammered as he dashed past her and down the stairs. She slumped onto his bed and pressed her hand against her forehead as the front door slammed shut downstairs. "Oh that was stupid." She moaned as Jenna joined her on the bed.

"You handled it pretty well considering," Jenna said sighing, "but next time your little brother comes out to you, you probably shouldn't call him a pothead and tell him the guy he likes is only with him to hurt you. He's been a holy terror that past few months Elena, but he's still your kid brother, and you can still hurt his feelings."

"I know, do you think I should go after him?" She asked standing.

"Probably not, he'll calm down eventually, besides you already know where he's going anyway."

As Jeremy walked down the street towards Matt's he tried to wipe the tears from his face but more kept coming. It wasn't like no one had ever called him a pothead before, but it was the first time Elena had. Even more she had assumed that some fifteen year old pothead wasn't good enough to make out with her ex boyfriend. He climbed the rickety steps to Matt's front porch and knocked on the door still scrubbing at his eyes with the sleeve of his hoodie. When Vicky opened the door he stood and stared at her. It was just his luck, the one night he races over to her house crying she was actually there.

"What are you doing here?" She asked crossing her arms and looking down at him.

"I want to talk to, Matt." He said looking down at the floor.

"Yeah, right, what do you want with my brother." She asked incredulously. Fortunately Matt had heard the knock on the door. He came down the stairs and stood behind Vicky.

"Move." He said quietly. She looked over her shoulder at him her eyes wide. "I said move, Vicky." He said nudging her in the ribs, she jumped and slid out of in front of the door. He stepped out onto the porch and closed the door behind him.

"What's going on?" He asked. He was surprised to see Jeremy at his house, when the younger boy looked up and the porch light glinted off the tear stains on his cheeks he stepped forward without thinking and wrapped his arms around him. "What's wrong?"

"Elena found out, and she said you only kissed me to get to her. Then said it was kind of fishy that the captain of the football team suddenly took and interest in a pothead." Jeremy said snuffling into the front of Matt's shirt. He felt like a dweeb for showing up on his doorstep bawling but he already felt better with Matt's arms around him. Matt, however, was pissed. He hadn't talked to Elena in months but he couldn't believe that she would do something like this, say something this hurtful.

"I told you, Jeremy, Elena made her choice a long time ago. This has nothing to do with her." He said tipping the other boy's face up to drop a small kiss on his forehead.

"But that's just it, I don't understand either." Jeremy said looking into Matt's clear blue eyes.

"I…I don't know." Matt stuttered. "I just saw you and it was like I was seeing you for the first time. And your eyes shine so brightly and your lips are so inviting." He paused drinking in the features that suddenly encompassed his entire world. "And I can't resist the urge to kiss you." He said dropping a gently kiss on Jeremy's lips. "To touch you," he brought his hand up and ran it against the soft, smooth skin of Jeremy's cheek. "To hold you," his hand ran down the other boy's neck, to his shoulder, and down to his hand which he grasped tightly.

"What if you wake up tomorrow and all of that's gone, what if I wake up tomorrow and all of that's gone?" Jeremy asked squeezing Matt's hand.

"It won't be," Matt said he raised their hands up and clutched them to his chest. "I can feel it in here, like you've been burned into me."

"It's not going to be easy." Jeremy said his eyes locked on their intertwined fingers. "Going from being the football star to the guy dating a loser."

"I'm not dating a loser." Matt said and for a moment Jeremy's heart fell. For an instant his heart fell and he knew he'd been wrong, that Matt didn't want people to know about them. "I'm dating you." Jeremy smiled as relief washed through him. "Besides, it's not like it's a secret anymore, my sister's been watching from window this whole time." Matt said smiling down at him. Jeremy glanced towards the window and saw the curtains close quickly. "Let me walk you home." He said pulling the younger boy towards the stairs.

"I'll be alright by myself; I can see our porch light from here." Jeremy said shaking his head quickly.

"I want to, I'm not ready to say goodnight." Matt said smiling again. Jeremy knew that Matt really wanted a chance to talk to Elena, but the truth was he really wasn't ready to say goodnight either. He didn't want Matt to walk back inside, because that meant he wouldn't see him 'til tomorrow. Finally he relented and let Matt pull him down the steps and back down the street.

Damon was asleep in a tree a dozen yards from the house when he was awoken by the fight. After he had flown away from the Gilbert house he had meant to go get a bite to eat, but for some reason he couldn't bring himself to go very far from the house. He had perched on a limb and stared back and the white clapboard building. He couldn't figure out why he was loath to go any farther. It certainly wasn't the Katherine look alike, he had met plenty of modern girls and they lacked the spark that nineteenth century women did. It definitely wasn't Stefan either, as much as Damon enjoyed watching his brother make a fool of himself there was only so much he could take before it turned his stomach. That left only the shaggy little man child and with him lay complication that made Damon want to turn and run, but he couldn't. Damon transformed and draped himself along a branch to contemplate the mess he'd stumbled into.

The boy was obviously young, Damon didn't know how young, but there were modern laws that frowned darkly about men his apparent age mingling with teenagers. The kind of frowning that leads to Damon in a cage with small angry people coming at him with sharp bits of wood. There was also the fact that the boy was somehow related to Stefan's new interest, which meant if he decided to pursue this tempting little morsel he'd be stumbling all over his brother. Finally there was the matter of the boy being a boy. Damon considered himself to be an open minded vampire of the twenty first century. He occasionally fed on the comelier members of the courser sex, but he'd never felt an attraction like this. This was the kind of pull that could be dangerous; this was the kind of pull that had gotten him killed in the first place. Of course that was back when he was human and a boy himself. This sudden burst of humane emotion now made him feel terribly uneasy. He had almost decided to get as far away from Mystic Falls as he could when he heard the screaming.

He was on the ground and running before he fully understood why. He was running to the little shaggy thing's rescue, he didn't even know this boy's name and he was running around like a white night on his mighty steed. Damon stopped and leaned against a tree laughing hysterically, he was in so much trouble. He was starting to act like Stefan. He stood by the tree determined he could let whatever happen to the boy without rushing in. After a moment of utter stillness he began to fidget and transformed into a crow, just in time for the boy to come flying out of the front of the house and down the road. Damon took flight and followed along behind him, when the boy slowed down a bit Damon pulled ahead of him and looked back to see tears shining on his face. A blaze of anger blasted through Damon's mind causing his beak to snap at the air viciously. The sudden flare of emotion startled Damon so badly he stopped dead in the air and fell towards the ground as he forgot to flap his wings. At the last moment he transformed and fell hitting the ground with a great whoomf. The grow form wasn't quite so sturdy as his own, it was a bird and it was fairly flimsy, the transformation had saved him from having to knit several broken bones. His own increased surface area, however, offered him the perfect opportunity to fall on sever jagged little twigs that burned as they imbedded into his skin. He had to bite back another maddening trill of laughter. He was lying facedown in the middle of the woods with no fewer than four massive splinters all because some teenage calamity was running down the street crying. Life was grand, especially for the undead.

When Jeremy and Matt came climbed the stairs at the Gilbert house Elena stepped out onto the porch. She looked down the boys tangled fingers then up at Matt's eyes. They were hard and cold. She had only seen his eyes like that a couple times. When one of the guys on the football team called Vicky a whore because he didn't think Matt was within earshot. When Tyler Smallwood had swerved out of his way to hit a squirrel the night he gave them a ride home because Matt's Ford died on the side of old wood road. But she had never seen his eyes like that when they were focused on him. She expected to see a similar look in her brother's eyes but he wouldn't look at her, all his attention was focused on bug crawling across the floor.

"Jeremy, I'm sorry." She said wrapping her arms around herself to ward off the sudden chill that had fallen over the porch. "I shouldn't have called you a pothead, and I'm sorry I made it sound like the only reason Matt would touch you is to get back at me. I was startled and I spoke without thinking."

"It's alright." Jeremy said without looking at her. She knew it wasn't okay, he sounded like he had yesterday, and the day before. He was closed down and locked off from her, he wasn't the boy she'd woken up such a short time ago.

"Please, Jeremy, I don't want things to go on like this. I miss you, I miss how you look like a sweet little boy when you smile, and I miss the sound of your laughter. I can't stand this; I can't stand the fighting and you hating me. Please just forgive me so we can go back to how we were before Mom and Dad died." She begged a feeling of relief washing over her as he finally looked at her and she recognized her little brother looking out from behind the surly teenager's eyes.

"I never hated you, I just didn't like you very much, Elena." Jeremy said quietly before smiling at her. She couldn't help but smile back.

"Well I guess that takes care of that." Matt said turning to go back down the stairs. He had come over expecting to have a screaming match with Elena.

"Not really, I still have a couple of words to say to you Matthew Donavan." Elena said her eyes flicking like flame as they latched onto the blond boy. "Jeremy could you go in the house, just for a little while, I promise to leave him in one piece." She added as he opened his mouth to protest.

"Fine." Jeremy said tugged on Matt's shirt sleeve and dropped a short but fierce kiss on his lips before walking past Elena to go into the house.

"What?" Matt asked as the door closed behind Jeremy.

"He is fifteen years old." She hissed advancing on him quickly. Matt stepped back quickly startled by her sudden change in mood. "And he is my little brother, our parents are dead, and he's had an incredibly hard time of it, he's a little fucked up right now. You have no idea how fucked up. If you do anything to hurt him I will steal a car and use it to run you down with it. And if you touch him anywhere under the belt before he turns sixteen it'll be a cop car." She said punctuating the last few sentences with sharp prods to his chest. Matt stared down at her anger and surprise warring inside him.

"If I hurt him you won't have to steal a car you can borrow mine and you better than anyone else should know I have an amazing amount of self control when it comes to things bellow the belt. **B**ut let me tell you one thing Elena Gilbert." He said prodding her gently in the shoulder. "I know how bad he's fucked up, I know better than you do, and I lo…like him anyway" His eyes had gone wide and terribly blue when he stumbled over those last words. Elena stared up at them; she knew what he stopped himself from saying, she was surprised, but not as surprised as he was.

"What don't I know?" She asked trying to catch him while he was still off center.

"No." He said simply stepping away from her.

"He's my brother, Matt, what don't I know?" She said following him across the porch another head of anger building in her gut.

"I'm not saying a world, Elena. Jeremy will tell you when he's ready." Matt said absorbing the full brunt of her glare without flinching. "And if you badger him about it…I will be so pissed off, and it'll just push him away again." Matt said returning her glare.

"Fine." She growled exerting a great deal of will to keep from stomping her heel on the porch. "So what are you going to do about tomorrow?"

"What happens tomorrow?" Matt asked his face genuinely startled.

"I remember being a football player's girlfriend, Matt. Now my little brother is, and to the best of my knowledge he's the first one that's not actually a girl."

"No one ever said it would be easy." Matt said shrugging vaguely.

"You have no idea what you're in for do you? What Jeremy's in for? They're going to be pissed at you, but you're the star they won't hit you and even if they did you'd tear their heads off. They're going to be majorly pissed at Jeremy because as far as they're concerned he's the little faggot that's brainwashed their captain. And you better believe they'll hit Jeremy, if they can get him alone by himself they'll beat the shit out of him. Do you think he can take care of himself? Really?"

"I'd kill them." Matt said his eyes going colder than she's ever seen them.

"Can you kill them before they kill him?" She asked stepping into his personal space. "Because you know those guys, if they're angry enough they'll beat him to death. Its happened before, maybe not here, but it's happened.

"Why? Why are you saying this?" He asked angry, bewildered, and most basically scared shitless.

"Because I love Jeremy, and believe me I'll mace the first motherfucker that touches him, but a little can of mace only goes so far, after that I'm just a little girl, I can't take them all."

"What do you want me to do, Elena? Go in there and tell him I can't be with him because I'm on the football team?" Matt asked nodding towards the door. "I can't do that, you have no idea what he did, what happened to him last time I walked out on him."

"No, if you do that it'll break his heart, but I want you to know what it'll be like tomorrow." She said sighing.

"Do you want me to pretend like I don't know him? That I don't feel this way?" Matt asked.

"Of course not, he'd think you were ashamed of him and god knows what complex that would dredge up." Elena said shaking her head. "But you better let your little football friends know as soon as possible, that each and every one that touches my brother will die a slow painful death, and that's just when I get a hold of them." Matt walked over to the porch swing and sat down hunching forward over his knees with his palms pressed against his eyes until sparks flew in front of his eyes.

"I'm afraid now." He said when Elena sat down beside him.

"Good, if you're scared then you might be able to protect him." She said glancing over at the front door. "I suppose I should let him out now."

"Don't scare him like this, okay?" He asked glancing over at her.

"Why? He needs to know what could happen too."

"Jeremy knows what could happen, Elena." She wanted to ask how, but she could read the anger and pain in Matt's eyes so she kept her mouth shut.

"Jeremy, you can come out now." She said barely raising her voice. Jeremy stepped out on the porch pulling the door closed behind him.

"Are you all done?" He asked walking slowly over too the swing.

"Yeah, I'm done." Elena said climbing to her feet. "I'll be upstairs I you want to talk before you go to bed, Jerm." She said before she went into the house.

"How much of that did you hear?" Matt asked once the door had closed.

"Most of it, I kind of went and threw up during part of it though." Jeremy said shaking his head. "Don't worry, I brushed my teeth."

"Knowing all that… that it could be dangerous, do you still want…" Matt said, he couldn't finish the question because was afraid of the answer.

"Be a football player's girlfriend?" Jeremy said laughing softly.

"Yeah." Matt smiled.

"As long as you're the football player." Jeremy said leaning over to kiss Matt's cheek. Matt laughed again and turned his head to catch Jeremy's lips, deepening the kiss until he was afraid his heart would race to a stop.

"I should probably get home," Matt said when he finally broke the kiss. "Vicky has probably called Tyler to tell him the good news. Half the team probably already knows. I need to call him and let him know that your sister is planning a killing spree." Matt said smiling again.

"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow at school." Jeremy said walking to the edge of the porch.

"No, you won't, I'll pick you up here." Matt said turning halfway down the sidewalk. "Football player's girlfriends don't ride the bus." Jeremy shook his head and watched as Matt walked out of sight.

At the end of the walk Damon sat in the quince tree and watched the blond boy, Mutt, or something like that, walk out of sight. He couldn't decide whether it would be better to kill Mutt now and save himself the trouble, or to wait til tomorrow and kill everyone that got near Jeremy. Killing Mutt would save him trouble of trying to win the shaggy little human's heart away from him, but if he waited he got to kill more people. What to do, what to do?


	3. Gaurdian Angel

Damon perched in the quince tree and stared down at the blonde human. It would be terrible simple, one little nibble and he'd be out of the way forever. He didn't even have to touch him really; all he had to do was look into Mutt's eyes and tell him it would be a good idea to walk out in front of the next vehicle. Still for some strange reason he couldn't bring himself to do it. He'd run a thousand different scenarios over in his head each ended with him laughing over the blondes dead body…and tears flowing freely from Jeremy's eyes. So Damon sat on his branch staring down at the human and waiting for Jeremy.

Matt kept his own vigil as he waited in front of the Gilbert house in his Ford. As he expected when he got home Vicky was on the phone with Tyler. He hadn't been able to catch what she'd been saying to Lockwood but when he walked through the door she actually looked guilty and that was never a good sign. She had recovered quickly enough though, slamming the phone back on the cradle and turning to him with a knowing look.

"Did you have a nice walk?" He asked smirking at him.

"Cut the crap, Vicky, what did you tell Tyler?" Matt said leaning against the door behind him. His legs were actually shaking; he had never been so scared before. He wasn't afraid of anyone, but he was afraid of what they could do to Jeremy.

"I told him that someone who looked suspiciously like my brother was on my front porch making out with Jeremy Gilbert, but it couldn't possibly be my brother because he's not a fruit." Vicky said her smirk flattening into a grimace.

"Why, what was so bad that you had to call him and tell him?" Matt said anger burning through his fear and leaving him cold.

"Well I thought my boyfriend ought to know there's a faggot running around town disguised at the team captain, he might get into the locker rooms." Vicky said frowning darkly as she turned to go back into the kitchen.

"I'm your brother." Matt said watching her retreat.

"My brother's a quarterback; I don't know who the hell you are." Vicky said slamming the kitchen door behind her. Matt followed her pushing the door open so hard it flew back against the wall and rebounded.

"They'll kill him if they can, Vick." He said glaring at her from the doorway.

"Better off dead than in bed with you." She said before running up the stairs to her bedroom.

Matt shook his head and came back to the blue car sitting underneath the quince tree. He couldn't believe that Vicky had said those things. They hadn't been close for a long time, not since their mother left for the last time and it was left up to Matt to reign in her more destructive behavior. But if someone had asked him a week ago if Vicky would stand in the kitchen and call him a faggot he would have laughed at them. Of course if someone had told him a week ago that he would stand on his front porch and kiss Elena's little brother he would have slugged them. Just then the front door opened and Jeremy came out dressed jeans and a dark t-shirt his bangs hanging around his face as he walked down the sidewalk. When he got to the car he glanced up and grinned and Matt felt all the sting of Vicky's words melt away. Jeremy opened the passenger side door and climbed into the car, closing the door behind him he sat there uncomfortably as if he didn't know what to do with himself. Finally Matt leaned across the seat and took Jeremy's face in his hands before kissing him.

"I got you something," Matt said digging into his pocket. He came out with a can of pepper spray in a leather keychain.

"Yeah," Jeremy said smiling at Matt handed him the spray. "Elena got me one too." He pulled a can of mace from his pocket. It was twice as large as the pepper spray.

"How'd she get a hold of that?" Matt asked looking down at the mace. "That's from a cops utility belt."

"Caroline." Jeremy said grinning embarrassedly.

"I forgot her mom was chief." Matt said shaking his head. "Use that one first, if it runs out use mine."

"Do you really think I'll have to keep spraying after I empty a can of mace?" Jeremy asked frowning.

"I hope not." Matt said turning over the ignition and pulling back out onto the street.

"We could be freaking out for nothing; I mean we don't know Tyler's going to be pissed." Jeremy said shrugging his shoulders.

"Vicky called me a faggot last night, Jeremy, I'm pretty sure Tyler and the rest of the guys are going to freak out." Matt said glaring out the windshield.

"I can't believe it."

"I have a question. How did you end up tangled up with my sister? I mean I get how you ended up in the cemetery, but why Vicky?" Matt said glancing over at the younger boy.

"I was trying to prove to myself that I was normal." Jeremy said laughing bitterly. "After everything happened I just had to know if it was just the pot or if I was actually gay."

"Well the answer's kind of obvious," Matt said smirking. Jeremy reached across the car and slugged him on the arm. "What was the whole scene in the parking lot? She told me you thought you were in love with her."

"Yeah, I was in love with her alright," Jeremy shook his head. "I couldn't get it up, I tried everything. I went to the parking lot to ask her not to tell anyone."

"What did she say?"

"That she would never tell anyone that she almost slept with Mystic Fall's very own pothead fag." Jeremy said smiling bitterly.

"Yeah, she's a sweet girl." Matt growled as they pulled into the parking of the high school. He could see Tyler and half of the football team standing by his convertible. For the past two semesters Lockwood had been in constant danger of being kicked off the team because he was tardy, today he was early. Matt pulled the Ford into a parking place and shut off the engine.

"You ready for this?" He asked glancing towards the group of boys.

"Yeah, are you?" Jeremy asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be." Matt opened his door and slid out on the asphalt before walking around the car to open the door for Jeremy. Immediately the football players began to whisper to each other and point towards the car but Matt smiled as Jeremy climbed out of the food a small blush washing his cheeks.

"You're just making it worse." Jeremy whispered as Matt closed the door behind him.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Matt said smiling as he kissed the soft skin by Jeremy's ears. The whispers turned into a chorus of groans. "Maybe you should go ahead to class; I'll see you after first period." Matt whispered before turning to walk towards the convertible. Jeremy watched him before a moment before turning to go into the building.

"You know I was really hoping Vicky was stoned off her ass when she called me last night." Tyler said as Matt stopped in front of him. "But I've seen it with my own two eyes and I still can't believe it, what the hell are you doing with that homo?"

"I'm dating that homo, as if it's any of your business." Matt said locking eyes with Tyler.

"Of course it's my business, it's all our business. Do you have any idea how it looks for our team captain to be seen kissing some little fruit." Tyler whispered harshly.

"Do you have any idea how it looks for the quarterback to getting high in the cemetery with a bunch of high school drop outs." Matt countered his eyes narrowing into a glare.

"I can't believe this; you're not even ashamed of yourself."

"Are you?" Matt asked crossing his arms across his chest.

Jeremy wasn't exactly used to being early for school. He didn't even think about it when he took his usual shortcut between the cafeteria and the gym. He didn't realize he was in trouble until two wide bodies stepped into the end of the narrow passageway. He stopped dead and his hand went for his hoody pocket and wrapped around the can of mace. He turned to run only to find two more football players blocking the other end of the alley.

"Hey, Gilbert, we want to talk to you." Jeremy's blood went cold as he recognized the voice. He'd never forget that voice, that voice that rained insults down on him along with blows in the cemetery.

"I need to get to class." He mumbled fighting hard to keep his voice from trembling.

"It'll only take a second." Jeremy couldn't see the boys face, the light falling behind him cast his front in dark shadows but he could picture his lips twisting into a cruel smirk.

"I don't want any trouble; I just want to go to class." He said pressing his back to the wall. Even the he could watch both pairs of boys at the same time and he knew they were going to rush him, and that would be all it took. The two behind him would grab his arms and the two in front of him would beat the crap out of him if he was lucky. He tried his best to give each pair equal attention as the moved slowly towards him but eventually his eyes locked on Cameron Blakely's face and he knew it was all over when he heard the heavy drum of running feet behind him. When the arms grabbed him from behind his hand let go of the mace and was pulled from his hoody before he could think. He braced expecting fists to come flying into his face but the other two boys just kept walking slowly.  
"We just wanted to see what was so special about you." Cameron said still smirking. "You're one hell of a cocksucker, but it'd take a lot more than that to turn Matt Donavan gay." Jeremy felt his knees go weak. He had expected them to beat him up, maybe even beat him to death. But the look in Cameron's eyes was all about violence of another kind. Finally the two boys stopped in front of Jeremy. He felt a fine trembling set up in his muscles and he knew the two holding him could feel it.

"I bet you're tight as hell." Cameron said reaching for his fly. The boy standing beside Cameron moved in and started working on Jeremy's belt buckle. He tried to kick out but his legs would move, he wanted to scream but his voice had fled. Cameron's jeans were around his ankles and he was rubbing the front of his boxers while the other boy tugged on Jeremy's jeans until they finally slid down his thighs. Jeremy went limp all of his weight tugging on his captors arms, a small whimper escaped his lips as tears began to pour down his face.

Damon watched the entire scene from the rooftop of the cafeteria. He had only let it get that far because he was once again trying to prove to himself that the boy meant nothing to him. In hind sight he wasn't really sure why he'd bothered. He had already gone through the trouble of using compulsion to convince the administrative secretary that he was the new student teacher and everything she needed to know was in the stack of papers in his empty hand. Still he made a last ditch effort to ignore the shaggy one's plight, until Jeremy's pants slid to the dirty concrete and the tears began to flow freely down his cheeks. It was then that red began to blossom across Damon's vision and he dropped into the alley without a sound. He went for the boy with his pants down first, grabbed him by the collar and through him down the passage out into the sunlight. He smashed the boy who had taken Jeremy's jeans down against the wall. The two holding Jeremy's arms dropped him and began to walk away. Damon feinted towards them and they tripped over each other trying to get away.

For a moment Damon stood and surveyed the carnage with a satisfied grin on his face. Granted it was nowhere close to the carnage he was capable of reeking but it wasn't bad for a student teacher if he had to say so himself. The boy he'd slammed against the wall would probably need stitches and the nasty little bastard he'd thrown probably had no skin left on his ass. His moment of triumph was interrupted by a ragged little sob. He turned on his heel to find Jeremy huddled against the filthy brick wall with his arms wrapped around his naked knees and his jeans still around his ankles. He walked over to the quivering ball and hunkered down beside it. He reached out and touched the boy's arm. Jeremy immediately let out a small yell and tried to burrow deeper into the wall.

"It's okay, they're gone, come here." Damon said quietly momentarily surprised by how gentle his own voice sounded. Jeremy looked at his rescuer, his eyes wide like a deer's, before he grabbed hold of the man and began sobbing. For a moment Damon just sat there surprised before he wrapped his arms around the boys shaking shoulders and began rubbing small circles in his back. It brought back vague memories of holding Stefan when he was twelve and their family dog had gotten rabies. The memory was quickly washed away by the realization that Jeremy's tears were soaking through his silk shirt to his skin. He made a small motion to push the boy away but he clamped on tighter until finally Damon gave in and simply held him.

Finally Jeremy's tears were spent and he had calmed down enough that he attempted to stand. Damon helped him to his feet. Jeremy stood for a moment with his arms wrapped around himself before he realized his pants were still down. He reached down to try and pull them up but his fingers were shaking and clumsy. Finally Damon help him pulling the denim up on the his slender hips murmuring soothing noises the entire time. He considered doing up the fly for him but decided to simply cinch his belt instead.

"Do you want me to walk you to the office?" Damon asked finally smiling reassuringly.

"I need to get to class." Jeremy said shaking his head a little too violently.

"You're not going to report them?" Damon asked his eyes going wide. "They tried to…"

"I know what they tried to do, the principal will never believe it his perfect football team would never do such a thing. I just want to go to class." Jeremy said scrubbing at his eyes.

"Alright come on then." Damon said stretching his arm out to wrap around the boys shoulder. Jeremy flinched away and he dropped it to his side. Jeremy took off towards class and Damon followed along behind. As they neared the door Jeremy stopped and scrubbed at his eyes before turning to Damon.

"This is my class, I'll be alright now, my boyfriend's supposed to meet me afterwards." He said looking up at the stranger.

"This is my stop too." Damon said grinning brightly.

"You're a student?" Jeremy asked looking at him incredulously.

"Of sorts, I'm the student teacher." Damon said nodding.

"Oh wow, exciting first day, huh?" Jeremy said brushing his hair back out of his eyes.

"Well it's not every day I get to save someone from the bogymen." Damon said flashing Jeremy his most dazzling smile. The boy colored slightly before shaking his head.

"We're going to be late if we don't go ahead inside."

"Right behind you." Damon said winking. Jeremy shook his head again, as if trying to clear it of some erroneous notion before turning to walk into the classroom. Damon followed behind him. Jeremy took a desk at the back of the glass while Damon sat down in a spare chair behind the teacher's desk. His eyes swept the sea of faces before him looking for any sign of trouble. Quite a few eyes kept flickering towards the back of the room but none of them held a significant amount of malice. A few sets of eyes were locked on Damon, and one of them was Stefan. At first Damon cringed as he imagined the merciless ribbing that would come to follow if Stefan realized why he had taken up his post as Robert E. Lee's newest student teacher. Damon's mind was fast though and he quickly gave Stefan a smile that spoke volumes. If he could convince his brother that he was there to watch him make a fool o himself then perhaps Stefan wouldn't have an opportunity to do the same.

The bell rang and gradually all of the eyes turned towards the front of the class and nearly identical masks of boredom slid over their faces all except two. Stefan was staring at Damon as if he expected something horrible to happen and Jeremy was looking up at him with a look caught between embarrassment and admiration. Five minutes after the bell the teacher finally showed up, he favored Damon and the class in general with a look of deep and indiscriminate loathing before setting his planner and coffee cup on the desk.

"Class I would like you to meet your new student teacher Damon Angelo." He handed the planner to Damon and whispered. "I'll be in the teachers' lounge if you need anything." Damon watched with bored amusement as the irritable man walked out the door before he slid the planner over and opened it up. His eyes lit up as he saw the scribbled notes.

"I see you all have been studying the works of Socrates and Plato." Damon said grinning broadly at the class. Stefan looked weary and Damon gave him another bright grin. "These are two of my favorite philosophers personally. Those GreckoRoman's really knew how to live." Stefan dropped his face into his hands. "How many of you knew that Socrates and Plato were most likely involved in a sexual relationship?" Damon asked. No hands went up and quite a few of the students looked at each other abashedly. Stefan was glaring at him, no doubt wishing he could get up and kill him. Jeremy had found something very interesting just out the window but his cheeks were flaming bright red.

"It was actually common practice in Greece for teachers to sleep with their students, a practice which is highly frowned upon today."

"Did the teachers have sex with female students too?" A blond haired girle with close set eyes as throwing up her hand.

"There were no female students." Damon said shooting her a small grin.

"Mr. Angelo, what does this have to do with philosophy?" Stefan asked finally.

"Everything, philosophers created their philosophies based on what the observed in their everyday lives." Damon said smiling a little too brightly.

"Do you think they were in love?" Damon was surprised by the question and even more so by the source. Jeremy waited expectantly blushing as again heads swiveled towards him.

"Socrates and Plato, I couldn't hazard a guess. I'm sure they loved each other; a pederastic relationship was not something to be entered into lightly." Damon said shrugging.

"Were these relationships accepted?" Jeremy asked growing bolder.

"Yes, were two men of equal age and standing to enter into a homosexual relationship it would have raised few eyebrows but pederasty was commonly accepted."

"So it was okay for old perverts to have sex with little boys but two consenting adults were looked down upon?" The question came from another boy sitting near the front of the class. He was dressed like a red neck and had a disgusted expression on his face.

"Pretty much, but it's the same way today, in foreign countries men can marry fourteen year old girls, but if he kisses another man they'll crucify him literally. But I'm afraid we've gotten off topic, there's a note here for you to read pages forty-five through sixty for homework. We've got about half an hour of class left, why don't you got ahead and get a head start." Damon said smiling beneficently before taking his seat behind the desk.

"Mr. Angelo, could I speak with you out in the hall?" Stefan asked glaring at his brother.

"If you'd rather talk to me than get started on your homework then by all means." Damon said shrugging as he stood. Half the class was watching and Jeremy's eyes were narrowed. Damon felt a thrill of delight as he led Stefan out into the hall.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Stefan hissed as the doors closed behind him, his voice soft enough that no humans could overhear.

"The joy of teaching, little brother." Damon said smiling sarcastically.

"Bullshit, Damon, you walk in and start preaching the joy of pederasty, are you trying to embarrass me?" Stefan growled.

"What does that have to do with you? The Gilbert girl is well… a girl."

"I don't know what's going on, but I'll figure it out, and you had better behave yourself until I do."

"I'll be a perfect gentleman." Damon said indulgently.

Jeremy tried to read the assignment but he couldn't concentrate. He was kind of surprised that the engaging Mr. Angelo was at the forefront of his mind but the dashing teacher with dark hair and darker eyes was so much more pleasant to think about then what could have happened in the alley. Before they had walked into the class Jeremy could have sworn that the man was flirting with him and when he started talking about teachers sleeping with their students he could have sworn those black eyes were on him. Worse yet when the new guy had asked Angelo to talk to him outside Jeremy had felt a blaze of jealousy which turning instantly into guilt. He couldn't believe he was thinking so much about Mr. Angelo when his boyfriend was going to meet him after class, his awesome, hot boyfriend that who had ruined his social life to be with him. A few minutes later Mr. Angelo and the new kid came back into the classroom but Jeremy kept his eyes on his book. He refused to give the man anymore attention.

When the bell finally rang Jeremy slammed his book shut and poked it down into his knapsack. He walked to the front of the class and out the door without ever looking up. Matt was leaning against the wall when he came out; Jeremy crossed the hall without every looking up and buried his face in Matt's chest his arms snaking around the older boy's waist. He felt Matt's rough thick fingers skim up his back to tangle in his hair. He stood there for a moment feeling the warmth of Matt's skin seep through his shirt before finally pulling away.

"What happened?" He asked quietly as he saw the dried blood at corner of the blond boy's mouth.

"Tyler, have you been crying?" Matt asked tilting Jeremy's face up.

"I'm alright." He said quietly.

"What happened?" Matt's voice brooked no protest but Jeremy merely shook his head before burying it back in the football player's chest.

"I'll be okay, I just want to forget about it." He murmured into the cloth of Matt's shirt.

"Please, tell me what happened." Matt begged one hand stroking down Jeremy's back.

"I'll tell you if you promise to let it go, I don't want you getting in trouble or getting hurt." Jeremy said tilting back his head to examine the older boys face. A wave of anger and frustration crossed his features but faded away as he nodded.

"There were some guys waiting for me in the alley between the gym and the cafeteria."

"Did they touch you?" Matt asked his voice going still and quiet.

"They didn't get a chance to do anything, the new student teacher showed up." Jeremy said, he felt guilty omitting the details but he would never forgive himself if Matt got hurt trying to take on half the football team.

"Do you want me to take you home?" Matt offered squeezing the younger boy's shoulders.

"No, I'll be okay; I don't think they'll come after me again. I'm just glad to see you. Does it hurt?" He asked reaching up to touch the split corner of Matt's lip.

"No, believe me, Tyler looks a lot worse than I do." Matt said wincing as he smiled.

"Did you get in trouble?"

"Half the parking lot heard what he said about me and saw him throw the first punch, Mr. Demarco gave me a warning and let me go." Matt said smoothing a thumb over Jeremy's jaw.

"Are you alright?" Elena said walking up behind her brother and spinning him around to face her. "Bonnie said she saw you come out of the alley crying with your fly down. You're fly is still down." Elena said looking down then back up to her brother's face. Jeremy turned towards the wall to zip his fly, unfortunately turning to the wall meant turning to Matt. Jeremy could tell without looking at the other boy's face that Matt was very angry, hi shoulders were so tight they thrummed.

"Jeremy, what were the guys trying to do to you when that teacher showed up?" Matt asked his voice quiet, each word clipped close. Jeremy looked up and found Matt's eyes were staring over his head gleaming like ice, his jaw was clenched so tightly that a small muscle squirmed along his jaw line. Jeremy took a step back frightened by the intensity of Matt's expression and ended up slamming into Elena. She locked her arms around his waist and whispered into his ear.

"Did they touch you?" Her voice was a low deadly hiss.

"No, I swear, Mr. Angelo showed up after he got my pants off, he chased them off and pulled my pants back up." Jeremy said quickly and quietly, but not quiet enough. Matt turned and punched the side of the locker beside him with a blood chilling shout. The thin metal of the locker gave a sickening shriek and dented pulling away from the rivets on the side. Jeremy and Elena stood staring at the older boy. Matt stood staring down at the blood beginning to flow from his knuckles.

"I'm going to kill them." He whispered quietly as the blood dripped to the floorl.

"No!" Jeremy gasped reaching forward to grab the other boy as if he could pin him and keep him from moving. "Please, nothing happened, just let it go I don't want any more trouble."

"Who was it Jeremy?" Elena asked her voice still small and cold.

"I didn't recognize anyone but, Cameron." Jeremy said still gripping Matt tightly. "Please, Matt, please just take us home. Come home with us and stay, don't do anything stupid." He had fully intended to ride out the rest of the day, but now he was afraid. He knew that if he didn't get Matt away from the school and away from the other football players someone might actually die.

"You're going to the principal's office first thing." Elena said grabbing one of Jeremy's hands. "Then we can take Matt home." She said tugging gently on his arm.

"Elena, no." Jeremy said turning from her momentarily distracted.

"Bullshit, if that teacher hadn't showed up there's no telling what would have happened. They are not going to get away with this Jeremy, now come on." She said pulling harder on her brother's hand. "You too." She said glaring up at Matt. He looked at her and went to walk away. She released Jeremy and grabbed his arm. "Do you remember what I told you don't you?"

"What?" He asked the rage still boiling just beneath the surface.

"I told you had better take care of him. What do you think he needs more right now to have you run off so he has to worry about you, or you with him so he knows everything is alright?" Matt stared at her for a long moment before the fired died out of his eyes and he turned to wrap his arm around Jeremy's shoulders.

"Come on we'll go to Mr. Demarco's office, it'll be alright." He said quietly squeezing the younger boy's shoulders.

"I'm so sorry." Jeremy said softly as they moved down the hall. "If I knew I was going to cause you this much trouble I would have kept my mouth shut." Jeremy said his eyes burning again.

"No, Jeremy, you're worth whatever trouble comes my way. I want you to remember that, I love you." Matt said kissing him on the temple. Elena shook her head and smiled.


	4. Vengeful Angel

The scene in the principal's office was decidedly uncomfortable for everyone involved. Jeremy and Matt sat in the two chairs facing the desk hands clasped tightly. Elena stood just behind them her arms folded tightly across her chest and a grimace plastered tightly on her lips. The principle's eyes flicked momentarily between the boys hands and the girls face. Jeremy stammered as he told his story, his eyes never leaving the floor, a shamed flush gradually flaming across the bridge of his nose.

"You can't expect me to believe that a group of my football players conspired to rape male freshmen." Mr. Demarco said dully when he had finished.

"Considering another group was jumping their team captain at the same time in the parking lot I don't find it too hard to believe." Elena said sharply. "In fact I think that Chief Forbes would find it quite interesting. "

"There's no need to bring the authorities into this." Demarco said quickly raising his hands.

"Then you will take care of this or Caroline's mother will." Elena shouted jabbing her finger in his direction.

"Ms Gilbert, in my fifteen years as principle I have never allowed a student to talk to me like that in all my life."

"How many attempted rapists have you let slide because they were on your football team in your fifteen years." She asked slamming her hand down on the back of Jeremy's chair. "You'll be hearing from my aunt." She turned and walked out of the office, Jeremy and Matt jumped up and followed quickly behind her. Neither one of them wanted to be alone in the nest of snakes Elena had unleashed. When they got out to the parking lot one of the football players was leaning against the fender of Matt's car.

"Run away little stupid man." Elena screamed as she ran towards the car. The teenager startled at the sudden noise and took off running as he noticed the girl running full tilt towards him. She waited by the back fender. Matt came around and pried open the passenger's side door. She slipped behind the passenger's seat into the back and Jeremy slid into the passenger's seat. Matt crossed back and got into the driver's side. Matt started the car and headed towards the exit.

"Elena smash!" Jeremy said snickering after they got out on the road. Even Matt managed to laugh. Elena shoved gently on the back of his head.

"See if I ever hulk out on anyone for you again." She said leaning back in her seat.

Damon didn't see Jeremy the rest of the day, he would have been worried but Mutt and Stephan's Katherine clone had also disappeared. He had never imagined being a high school teacher could be so boring. The only thing he thought could possibly worse was actually being a student. It was too late to change plans now though he was beginning to sincerely wish he had signed up to be an janitor instead. When the final bell finally rang he waited for the students to clear out of the classroom before he left and headed towards the office. He was pleased when he found that only one secretary remained in the room it was much easier to compel people one at a time. He walked over and smiled down at her.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" She asked without looking up from her computer. He frowned.

"It's my first day and I would like a print out of the student roster so I can learn their names. " He said smiling again. Again she failed to look up. "Look here you old biddy." He snapped. The secretary looked up finally her eyes narrowing into tiny slits.

"Finally." He said locking eyes with her. "Forget what I just said. You have a really bad headache that will disappear as soon as you get home, you're going to leave me here to lock up because I'm a sweet boy and have an honest face." Daman said quickly but evenly. The woman's eyes dilated then constricted before she blinked rapidly and grabbed the side of her head.

"Oh my, I have the worst headache, would you mind locking up the office for me?" She asked peering blearily up at him.

"Of course, you go on home, I'm sure you'll feel better soon." She grabbed her purse and walked quickly away from the office. Damon smirked and slid around behind the desk. It took him a while to find what he was looking for. Damon was used to computers; he had been using them since they became popular…and portable. But he'd never actually dealt with a school filing system. He finally managed to pull up a list of the football team including pictures and addresses. He printed out the list and tucked it under his jacket before turning off all the lights in the office and locking the door behind him. He was suddenly feeling famished.

"I'm going to go call Caroline and Bonnie." Elena said as they walked into the house. She headed off towards the stairs.

"You're not going to tell them what happened today are you?" Jeremy called after her.

"Yes." She said simply as she started up the stairs.

"Elena!" He shouted before clapping a hand over his mouth, he did not realize he could still sound like a little kid.

"I'm not doing it to embarrass you, Jeremy; I'm doing it to put their balls in the fire." She said as she disappeared upstairs.

"It'll be okay, no one blames you." Matt said gripping Jeremy's hand and kissing him on the top of the head.

"You're a liar, but you're sweet." Jeremy looked up at him and smiled. "Want to come see my room?" He asked his smile taking a wicked bent as he tugged at Matt's hand. The blonde boy winced but followed along behind him. After today he knew that Elena really would hurt him if he touched Jeremy. The thought really didn't bother him because he had no intentions of taking advantage of him after the day he had been through, but he could tell from that evil little smile what Jeremy had in mind.

Matt was fairly familiar with the Gilbert's house. He had spent a rather large chunk of his life during the past two years in it. He has seen Elena's room and Jeremy's room. Whenever the smaller boy opened the door Matt fell back a step. The last time he'd seen the inside of Jeremy's room it had been covered in sports memorabilia and posters of video games. The sports memorabilia had been replaced by books with disturbing titles and the posters were still there but they were now for metal bands.

"It's a little different." Jeremy said apologetically as he saw the expression on Matt's face.

"That's okay, it's your room, you can make it look however you want, it just took me by surprise." Matt walked over to a poster hanging on one of the wall. It was a picture of an arm hanging down the wrist was covered in blood. "Did you really feel this way?" He asked turning to look at his boyfriend.

"Yeah, a few times." Jeremy said looking away from Matt's pained expression. Matt pulled the younger boy too his chest and wrapped his arms around him. The thought of Jeremy lying somewhere with his wrists cut open shook Matt down to his soul and he belt the bitter sting of regret. He would give anything to take back the past few months that had somehow managed to transform the carefree, happy kid he knew into the torn young man he was in love with now. Still he could help but smile when he felt Jeremy tilt his head back and kiss the bottom of his chin.

"Come sit down." Jeremy said slipping from Matt's arms and tugging him toward the bed. Matt opened his mouth to protest but Jeremy shook his head with a grin and flipped around pushing the larger boy to the bed. He knelt on the blondes lap one knee on either side of his hips.

"Jeremy, we really shouldn't" Matt managed before the other boys smashed their lips together fiercely and all the words flew from his mind. He wasn't able to think clearly again until he felt Jeremy's hands scrabbling at his fly. Suddenly the world became clear again. He grabbed the boys arms and held them tight as he managed to extricate himself from the kiss.

"What?" Jeremy asked blinking confusedly down at him.

"You don't have to do that." Matt said sliding his hands down Jeremy's arms to his hands. He took his hands from his fly and held them in his own. "I…I'll love you not matter what you don't have to do that just so I'll love you." Matt said stroking his thumb over the soft skin on the back of Jeremy's hand.

"But I want to." Jeremy said.

"I'm not rejecting you, you have no idea how much I'd love to let you touch me….but you've been through a lot today and I don't want you to do anything because you're upset."

"Elena threatened you didn't she?" Jeremy asked scowling at the wall over Matt's head

"Yes, yes she did." Matt said smiling.

"I'll protect you from my big bad sister." Jeremy said smirking.

"I'm serious though, Jeremy….I'm a…." Matt stuttered a bright flush spreading across his cheeks.

"You're a virgin?" Jeremy asked leaning back to get a better look at Matt's face. When the older boy blushed more deeply and looked away Jeremy laughed slightly and kissed him between the eyes. "I am too…in some ways."

"I am in every way." Matt said staring up at Jeremy's smiling face. "And I want it to be special. I want the first time we're together to be beautiful…..and have nothing to do with this horrible day." Matt said smiling sadly. Just then Elena pushed open the door and stood there glaring. Matt jumped up with Jeremy still attached to him and backed into the corner.

"I didn't do anything both our flies are still zipped." He said quickly. Jeremy was highly confused, he had gone from sitting on his boyfriends lap to clinging to his chest as they stood corner somehow he had managed to wrap his legs around Matt's waist before he took off.

"Elena!" He snapped leaning over backwards to look at her upside down. "Did you forget how to knock?"

"Did you forget how to act like a fifteen year old?" She asked crossing the room to pull on his hood.

"I am." He said indignantly. "Or at least I was trying to."

"Climb down from the football player, little brother, before I get irritated." She said grinning brightly at him.

"Fine." Jeremy said sliding dropping his feet to the floor and taking as step away.

"Leave the door open, I don't trust you." She said jabbing her finger at Jeremy's chest.

"Did you talk to Caroline?" Jeremy asked when she turned to leave.

"Yeah, she said she'd have her Mom come over but she hasn't seen her all night. They found a dead body over by Wickery Bridge." Elena said frowning slightly.

Damon smiled grimly as he watched the police swarm over the small cemetery. He was actually surprised that the first one had been so easy. The boy in the alley with his pants down was in the cemetery where Daman had been spending most of his time. He had been on his way to the crypt that had served as his home base when he caught a familiar scent. He followed it and found a pile of teenagers by a campfire. They all stank heavily of weed but he was able to pick out the boy. Patience wasn't his strong suit but Damon had been able to wait until the boy go up and stumbled into the dark to attend to natural business. He waited until the boy had zipped back up before dropping out of the tree inf front of him.

"What the…" The boy snapped stumbling backwards.

"Do you think it's nice to try to take something that's not yours?" Damon asked quietly.

"You're that fucking teacher." The boy said pointed blearily at him. "Thanks to you I have road burn on my ass. I ought to kill you."

"My thoughts exactly." Daman said before he sprung. The boy was on the ground writhing from the sharp pain of fangs in his throat before he could scream. When the blood stopped flowing Damon stood, viciously kicked the body and walked away into the darkness.

It had taken him slightly longer to find the other three boys. They weren't at home so the sheet he'd printed out did him little good. He spent the rest of the night checking the local hang out spots. He finally managed to find them all in one spot. The football team was in a field on the edge of town sitting around a similar campfire drinking beers. Did the youth of Mystic Falls have nothing better to do with a Friday night? In his day there had been barn dances to attend and wars to fight. Damon's patience was less than perfect as he waited for the three remaining thugs to wonder beyond the light of the fire. Finally the tree all stood up at once and he couldn't believe his luck. He followed them and smirked as they all climbed into the same car. They never managed to start the engine. He managed to compel the other two to sit still while he killed the first. When he left the field there were three dead bodies in the car and smile on his lips.


	5. Errant Angel

Matt left the Gilbert house at ten o'clock with his virtues still intact. Jeremy stood on the porch and watched him walk off down the street before turning to go back in the house. Elena was curled up on one end of the couch diligently reading one of her textbooks. Jeremy grabbed his philosophy book from his backpack and sat down to read the chapter Mr. Angelo had assigned them. He could have finished it in class but his mind was racing then and he couldn't concentrate on the page. He had managed to finish three pages when there was a knock on the door. He glanced at Elena but she simply shrugged. They got up and walked to the door together, maybe Aunt Jenna forgot her keys. It wasn't Jenna standing on the porch when they opened the door. Chief Forbes turned towards the door as it swung open. He eyes were hollow and tired, deep shadows like caverns beneath them.

"I heard you had some trouble at school today." She said glancing at Jeremy.

"Yeah, I did." He said brushing his hair back out of his eyes. "It looks like you had a long night yourself."

"That I did." She said shaking her head. "After I left Wickery Bridge I got another call, three dead bodies in a car over near the old farmstead."

"Oh my god." Elena said clasping her hand across her mouth. "Do you have any idea who did it?"

"You know I can't release that kind of information, Elena. We're following what leads we have." The chief said shaking her head wearily. "Listen, let's just go inside so I can get a statement and go home and crawl in bed." Elena nodded and held the door open allowing the chief to slip inside.

"Can I get you a cup of coffee or something?" Elena asked as Chief Forbes walked into the living room and flopped down on the couch.

"No, I want to be able to pass out when I get home, I'd rather not be exhausted and jittery. So what happened at school today, Jeremy?" She asked glancing up at the teen. He started pacing the floor his face flushed.

"Um….when we got to the parking lot half the football team was waiting at Tyler's car. Matt told me to go ahead to class while he took care of it. I always cut through the alley between the gym building and the cafeteria to get to my first class and that's where they were waiting for me."

"How many were there?" The chief asked jotting down the information in a small notebook.

"Four, two came in from each side and pinned me in, I had pepper spray….and mace but they grabbed me before I could use them."

"So that's where my spare can of mace went." She said glancing at Elena with a small frown. Elena smiled apologetically and shrugged her shoulders. "Did you recognize any of them?"

"Only Cameron Blakely," Jeremy said without interrupting his pacing. "The rest were guys I didn't know." Jeremy's eyes were planted firmly on the floor, too embarrassed to look the woman in the eyes, he didn't see her eyes widen but Elena did. Forbes finished taking notes and headed towards the door.

"Cameron's dead isn't he?" Elena asked as she glanced over her shoulder to make sure Jeremy wasn't close enough to overhear.

"What is it with you and asking questions I'm not allowed to answer?" The chief asked rubbing wearily at her eyes. "You and Caroline have been friends since pre K but that still doesn't mean I can bend the rules for you."

"I guess that's answer enough." Elena said shaking her head.

"So Matt and Jeremy as dating?"

"Wait you don't think…" Elena said her browse arching low over her nose. "Matt was with us all night, he didn't leave here until ten."

"He didn't leave at any time?" Forbes asked pursing her lips.

"No, Jeremy spent half the night wrapped around him, he couldn't go anywhere. And besides Matt wouldn't hurt a fly." Elena protested.

"He sure hurt Tyler Lockwood today." The chief said. She stepped off the porch and walked to her car without another word. Elena turned and closed the door behind her. If Cameron Blakely was dead then she had a pretty good guess the other three guys in that alley had been the three in the car. She would have dearly loved to kill them but she didn't do it. She hadn't even told Jenna what happened yet and the woman was too mellow for cold blooded murder anyway. And Matt had been with them all night. Everyone who would want to kill those boys was accounted for….so who did it?

Damon was sitting in a tree just outside Jeremy's window and his patience was beginning to wear thin. What kind of teenage boy spent the evening in the living room with his sister, shouldn't he have cloistered himself in his room by now? Damon could have easily slid to the ground and watched through the living room window, but the living room faced the street. He would have to become a crow to avoid being seen and he was far too full too slip on his avian skin. He was about to call it a night and go find somewhere to sleep it off when the leaves rustled and he turned to find his brother perched on the limb beside him.

"Your presence is starting to irritate me, Damon." Stephan grumbled as he shifted trying to find a better position.

"Well it's a good thing I don't care then isn't it?" Damon asked turning back to his vigil. He was going to leave but he couldn't take off now. That would please Stephan….and he didn't do anything that could possibly make Stephan happy.

"What are you doing up here anyway?" Stephan asked frustration replaced by curiosity. He turned and followed the direction of Damon's eyes. "Wait, is that Jeremy's room?"

"I don't know whose room it is." Damon lied. "I just like this tree."

"Since when do you develop an affinity to trees, why are you spying on Elena's brother?" Stephan asked turning to stare at him. Damon's eyes shifted quickly in his direction then away before the corner of his lip twitched. Stephan stared for a moment, his jaw hanging open, before throwing his head back in laughter nearly toppling off the limb. Damon cursed and swung his hand over Stephan's mouth wishing that his little brother still needed oxygen to survive. He had really hoped to hide his obsession a little longer now he was going to have to endure Stephan's stunted sense of humour.

"Damon he's a child." Stephan scoffed after he managed to stop laughing.

"And yours isn't? They're all children as far as we're concerned." Damon said fighting the urge to knock Stephan from the limb.

"No, yours is really a child. Look he still plays with dolls." Stephan said pointing the line of stick-straight figures on a shelf.

"Feh, he hasn't touched those since I've been here, they're purely for decoration." Damon said quickly. He had to admit the presence of the tiny people had been perturbing at first but a soldier he had served with collected marionettes so perhaps it wasn't that odd.

"Well what about his boyfriend?" Stephan asked ceding the point. He really couldn't talk; Elena had an actual dolly on her bed.

"He's human and homely, hardly any competition." Damon sniffed; he was already questioning his decision not to kill the Mutt boy. While he had no doubt he could lead Jeremy away from him spending part of the day watching them snuggle had made him want to kill something…so he had.

"If you're going to hang around you could at least clean up after yourself." Stephan muttered turning his gaze to the window as Jeremy's bedroom door opened. "Four dead bodies in one night is hardly discreet."

"Fine." Damon murmured his attention captured as Jeremy walked into the room and began removing his shirt.

"I'm not going to sit here and watch this." Stephan stammered as he slid off the limb landing on the ground with a quiet thud.

"Suit yourself." Damon called quietly, leaning forward for a better view.

"He's a child, Damon." Stephan's parting shot was followed by a swish as Stephan sped away.

"Bite me, Stephan." Damon replied distractedly as Jeremy's jeans hit the floor.

When Jeremy stumbled down the stairs the next morning he found Elena and Jenna sitting at the kitchen table. They both fell silent and looked up at him as he slid into his chair blinking groggily at the empty placemat in front of him.

"Where's my breakfast?" He asked rubbing his eyes.

"We were kind of hoping you would sleep in." Jenna murmured taking a quick sip of her coffee.

"Why, I don't want to be late for school."

"Okay, now that's weird." Elena muttered arching her eyebrows.

"You're not going to school today." Jenna said ignoring her niece.

"Why?" Jeremy asked, blinking as his exhaustion faded.

"The guys who attacked you yesterday were found dead last night." Jenna said quickly.

"Um, okay, I'm going to wake up now." Jeremy said pinching the skin of his arm.

"Not a dream, kiddo." Elena murmured gently. Normally Jeremy would have snapped at her for calling him 'kiddo' instead he stared down at the placemat until the flowered pattern blurred. Cameron was dead.

"Why can't I go to school?" He asked when he finally looked back up.

"Jerm, the football team was pissed yesterday. Now the four guys that cornered….and tried ….who cornered you are dead. I just don't think it's a good idea for you to be at school today." Jenna explained resting her forehead on her hand. Jeremy's protest was interrupted by a knock at the door. Elena got up and headed towards the living room returning with Matt in tow.

"He's not going to that school today." Jenna said before Jeremy could open his mouth.

"Neither am I, the principle called my house this morning and suggested I stay home a few days 'Until everyone has a chance to calm down.'" Matt said as he flopped into the empty chair beside Jeremy.

"Wait; was it your idea to keep me home or the principal's?" Jeremy asked glaring at his aunt.

"I decided to keep you home before the he called." Jenna said rolling her eyes. "You would think that you, of all people, would welcome and excuse to stay home from school."

"Besides Matt will be here to keep you company." Elena said as she got up and headed towards the stairs.

"Where are you going?" Jeremy asked turning towards his sister.

"The principal didn't say anything about me staying home. I have to go to school." Elena said as she darted up the stairs.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Matt asked turning to Jenna. "If they can't get to me and they can't get to Jeremy don't you think they'll go after Elena to get back at us? I mean she is my ex and Jeremy's sister."

"Matt, I don't think those muscle-headed moron friends of yours are going to beat up on a teenage girl just because she's connected to a couple of guys they don't like." Jenna said shaking her head. "I've got to get ready for work, you two be good." Jeremy looked wistful, Matt looked relieved.

Elena had gotten a few feet from the house before Stephan stepped from the shadow of a tree three feet in front of her. She shrieked and jumped before she recognized his face. Stephan smiled apologetically as she walked passed without saying a word.

"I'm going to put a bell on you." She grumbled as he caught up with her. "A little tiny bell on a pink collar."

"I suppose that's preferable to a cowbell." Stephan said shrugging. "I wanted to tell you something."

"What's that?" Elena asked, thawing a little as her curiosity got the best of her.

"I know who killed those boys." Elena stopped and turned to him. If he said Matt she was going to deck him.

"Who would that be." She asked her voice measured and guarded.

"I can't tell you that." He said beginning to walk away.

"What the hell? You tell me you know who killed those douches and then you won't tell me who?" Elena slapping his shoulder as she caught up. She hadn't smacked him very hard but it was like hitting stone. The skin of her palm stung.

"He's a very dangerous…man, Elena. Knowing his name would only make it worse." Stephan explained quickly.

"Then why tell me at all."

"I'm afraid he's taken an interest in your brother." Elena stopped again a shiver running down her spine.

"What do you mean 'taken an interest'." Stephan suddenly looked very uncomfortable, and in the few weeks that she had known him Elena had never seen Stephan Salvatore look uncomfortable about anything. "You mean this dangerous man has the hots for Jeremy?" She asked.

"I'm afraid so yes." Stephan said reluctantly.

"And that's why he killed Cameron and his asshole buddies." Elena asked.

"Yes."

"Is he any danger to Jeremy?" She asked glancing over at Stephan. A thoughtful look crossed his face.

"I suppose not, if anything his attraction would make your brother safer. Anyone that tried to harm him would meet an untimely end." Stephan said shrugging. He hadn't thought of it that way. He had figured the fact that a murderer was infatuated with Jeremy would upset her. He had forgotten that Elena was nothing if not pragmatic.

"What about Matt? Is this dangerous man the jealous type?" Elena asked examining Stephan closely. A thought had crossed her mind quickly and faded away.

"I believe that as long as Matt stays in Jeremy's affections he will be safe from harm, but if he does anything to harm him then his life would most likely be forfeit." Stephan said ponderously.

"Don't worry, if Matt hurts Jeremy your friend won't have a chance to kill him." Elena said darkly.

"He's not my friend." That was a relief. Elena was beginning to wonder if Stephan considered himself to be a dangerous man or if he had gotten close to her to get close to Jeremy.

"How do you know him then?"

"You could say we grew up together."

Damon paced at the front of the classroom, his eyes flicking to the door every time a student walked in. When the final bell rang he still didn't give up hope but soon he lost his patience and flopped into the chair glaring at the sea of weary faces. His eyes landed on Stephan who smirked before opening his book. It was the longest fifty minutes of Damon's life….before and after. When the bell rang and the students began to flood into the hallway he cleared his throat.

"Mr. Salvatore, if I could have a moment of your time." The few stragglers glanced at Stephan ruefully before fleeing. Once they were alone Damon walked over and closed the door.

"Where is he, what did you do!" Damon snapped rounding on Stephan. "So help me if you've warned him away from me I'll eat you, Stephan, I swear I will."

"I did nothing of the sort." Stephan said raising his hands defensively. "His aunt kept him at home so he would be safe."

"Oh," Damon said quietly. "Well that's good for you then." He said heading for the door.

"I have a question." Stephan said, Damon stopped with his hand still on the door.

"What?" Damon asked wearily. "Oh, let me guess, you want to know if my intensions are pure. You should know better, little brother." Damon said turning towards Stephan with a wicked grin.

"I was going to ask if you were going to use him up and throw him away or if you actually cared about him, but I guess you answered my question." Stephan said shouldering past Damon.

"Stephan." Stephan stopped and turned. "I'm not going to throw him away…ever."


End file.
